Nov. 22--A 53-year-old man was denied bail Friday after being accused of stealing 23 cans of Red Bull from a gas station in suburban Riverside.
Shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday, officers were called to the Amstar service station at 3346 S. Harlem Ave. for a theft. The caller said a man, wearing bluejeans and a hoodie, came into the store and bought lottery tickets from a lottery machine, according to a news release from the Riverside Police Department.
The man walked to the rear of the store and stuffed 23 cans of Red Bull into a winter jacket, then jumped inside a vehicle that was waiting for him in the parking lot, the release said.
A witness was able to get a partial license plate number and a description of the vehicle. Officers searched the area but were unable to find the suspect, the release said.
The next day officers viewed video surveillance footage and retrieved the full license plate number. The plate was listed to an address in Maywood, and officers set up surveillance at a home in the 700 block of South Sixth Avenue, the release said.
When the vehicle left the address, officers pulled it over and found the suspect in the passenger seat. He was taken into custody and identified as the Red Bull thief. The man, identified as Melvin Harris, of the 200 block of 17th Avenue, admitted to his role in the theft and gave officers an explanation for his conduct, the release said.
Harris told police he did not have a job and was on his way to a temporary employment agency in Summit to find work. Along the way, he decided to stop at the gas station where he stole $63 worth of Red Bull. Harris and the getaway driver then drove south on Harlem and stopped to sell the Red Bull on the street.
They then drove to Chicago and used the profits to buy gas, according to police. He then drove back to Summit to start a new job but was denied because he was late, the release said.
Harris was charged with felony retail theft. The charge was enhanced to a felony because of Harris' record. His criminal background includes 48 arrests, and he has been in and out of prison over the last 15 years for retail thefts, the release said.
Officials also said Harris has used several aliases, four dates of birth and two false Social Security numbers, the release said.
He appeared Friday at a bail hearing and was denied bail. The driver of the vehicle was not charged because he did not participate in the theft.
